Class: D1
Coach: Randy Eisenhauer 2017-18 record: 15-7 2017-18 playoffs: Lost to North Central in sub-districts Returning letter winners: Allyson Wemhoff Sr., Kayce Kallhoff Jr., Kaylee Martinsen Sr. Players to watch: Grace Rittscher Sr., Harlie Bode So., Ally Selting So., Kirsten Krebs So., Araceli Palmer Jr. 2018 outlook: “We need some kids to fall into their roles and help us as a team. We will continue to work on getting better as the season goes on.” Coach Randy Eisenhauer Our take: The Lady Wolfpack may be one of the most talented and well-rounded teams in the area. With several key returners, being accompanied by some quality newcomers, EPPJ has potential to make a successful run in the postseason. The apple does not fall far from the coaching tree in the Knutson family.
After Christy Knutson was named head coach of the Neligh-Oakdale girls basketball team, her son Tanner Knutson jumped ship from the boys side to serve as his mother's assistant coach this season. "He's my backbone," Christy stated. "He knows everything about basketball. Having him on my side and being my son, is the best thing. Hopefully we can keep our relationship strong and not get in trouble with each other. Having him is awesome. He's great with kids and has been doing the little kids program. Kids love him and we feed off each other and complement each other in a lot of different ways." Christy previously served as the head coach of Lutheran High Northeast for three seasons before being tabbed as the Lady Warriors mentor this past summer. Tanner's experience has been more than beneficial for Christy, who had to make a transition to the new program. "I've given it all to Tanner," Christy added. "He has designed all the plays and he has done everything. I wanted him to put his knowledge on paper and instill it in these girls. These girls are very talented and having his expertise in the game is phenomenal." After watching his mom coach throughout his life, Tanner followed in her footstep and began coaching at N-O six years ago. "I grew up watching her, being her student manager and going to all her games," Tanner recalled. "It gave me a reason to coach and it's why I do what I do." Although this is Tanner's first year coaching girls, Christy has been there for helpful advice to help prepare Tanner for the transition. "Girls are a lot different than boys, that's for sure," Tanner continued. "You can't say what you really think to the girls, but I don't consider them any different. They work hard and give it all like the boys though and they care like the boys" The Knutsons make their coaching debut for Neligh-Oakdale Thursday at Ewing at 4 p.m. The Cyclones split their home Jamboree basketball games with O'Neill on Monday night.
O'Neill jumped out to an early lead in the girls game and continued to roll in the second half, outscoring OC, 69-26, in the end. The Clearwater-Orchard boys kept up with the Eagles in the first half, trailing by just 6 at halftime. But a big third quarter by O'Neill gave them a commanding 15-point advantage. In a thrilling final quarter, the Cyclones fought back to edge out the Eagles for a 55-54 win. Four Elgin Public/Pope John football players earned all-district honors for their stellar play this season.
Senior Kyle Schumacher was named to the first team, while senior Hunter Reestman and juniors Conor Ramold and Adam Dreger earned second-team honors. Several Neligh-Oakdale football players were rewarded for their phenomenal season with all-district honors.
Warrior seniors Austin Rice and Andrew Herley, along with juniors Hunter Charf and Kaleb Pofahl, were named to the first team. Honorable mentions honors went to senior Jayden Arehart, and sophomores Colton Klabenes and Dawson Kaup. Elkhorn Valley had numerous football players selected to the all-district squad after solid seasons.
Falcon senior Josh McFarland and sophomore Braedyn Ollendick earned first-team honors. Honorable mentions honors went to EV seniors Prestin Vondra, Damien Knight and Brock Schaecher and sophomore Adam Miller. Neligh-Oakdale's volleyball coaches announced their resignations from the program earlier this week and was confirmed by the administration in a phone call on Friday.
Head coach Hannah Hoefer decided to step away from the program after eight seasons at the helm. Assistant coach Tabatha Kerkman also stepped down. "Since my oldest entered junior high, the question of 'How long can I balance coaching volleyball and being at my own kids' extra curricular events?' has been in my head," Hoefer said. "This year proved to be the most challenging missing several of their events to be at volleyball. My oldest enters high school next year and already most nights my family is going in every direction so at this time in my kids' life, I don't want to miss anything. They don't stay with us forever, so making more time for me to be with them has become even more important to me. Hoefer enjoyed her time as the head mentor for the Lady Warriors and it was difficult for her to step away after this past season. "The teams, the 2017 and this 2018 team especially, have been like a second family so this decision has been extremely hard to make," Hoefer added. Hoefer may return to the program in an assistant role. "Although coach Hoefer stepped down, she is contemplating on serving as an assistant coach next year," stated N-O high school principal Ben Dempsey. "She is still undecided at this point, but would like to return in the future potentially." Neligh-Oakdale's administration begins the process of finding a new mentor to replace Hoefer. "We'll go through staff and find out if anyone is interested," Dempsey continued. "That's where we'll start and then we'll move on from there." Although the Hoefer era has come to an end, the eight-year mentor enjoyed her time at Neligh-Oakdale. "I have changed and learned a lot since from my time as head coach," Hoefer concluded. "My style of coaching in 2011 compared to now has changed dramatically. I've learned not every athlete can be coached the same way, that every season brings a new set of challenges but also a new set of accomplishments, I've learned motivating and inspiring teenage girls is not always easy but it is so very worth it. I've gotten to work with some special assistance, both of my sister-in-laws, Jessica Eymann and Tabatha Kerkman, my sister Autumn Capler (Kuester), Shannon Kubik (Wietjes), Brittany Boyle (Petersen), and Laura Dewey who all made my job as head coach easier and fun and they have made coaching at NOHS very memorable. Some of my favorite memories include back-to-back district finals, the practice that I planned nothing but the worst conditioning drills and laid it out on the stage just for them to read; only to surprise them with pizza and fun games instead. the request from the girls for me to host at least one or two of the team suppers at my house just because they knew they'd get whatever foods they asked for. Being asked to be a confirmation sponsor for one of my players. Taking the team Trick or Treating In O'Neill after a first-round win at sub-districts that fell on Halloween night. Listening to them sing deafeningly loud on the way home from big wins, watching the girls celebrate and ring the victory bell with pride. Laughing at pictures from the games or rewatching clips on HUDL with the girls just to laugh at something that happened during the game. Creating and leading the team prayer before each game and my list could go on and on as several of these girls have made huge impressions on my heart and the time spent with them is cherished." Three of the top athletes to ever don their respective colors concluded their careers with spectacular seasons.
Seniors Cole Belitz, Jacob Long and Amber Miller were chosen by the ACN staff as the captains of their respective all-area teams. Neligh-Oakdale’s Belitz concluded his career with a medal at the state cross country meet, becoming the first Warrior to ever medal at the state race. “I definitely think it was a great way to cap off my cross country career,” Belitz said. “I’m glad I don’t have to run anymore races, but I’m definitely glad that it ended in a medal. All of the hard work paid off. Being able to come here two times and finish with a medal is pretty awesome.” Belitz wrapped up his career as one of the top runners in N-O history. He saved his best season for his last, winning numerous meets and breaking countless Warrior records. Belitz captured the Niobrara Valley Conference individual championship, before taking fourth and 12th at the district and state meets, respectively. The senior runner owes a lot of his success to his summer workout regime that helped prepare him for the 2018 campaign. “I ran a lot more than I did the last few summers,” Belitz concluded. “The most important thing is you have to get a lot of miles under your belt and it makes a three-mile race a lot easier when you can go out and run five miles easily. That’s a good thing to do in the summer and just that little bit I increased this year helped me this much. I wish I would have known about it back when I was a freshman or sophomore so I could have improved on it then. Who knows where I’d be now, but it’s definitely important you get that done over the summer.” Long helped lead the Clearwater/Orchard football team to its first district title as a consolidated program in his final season. “It was a great feeling throughout the season being able to play the way we did,” Long commented. “It didn’t end the way we wanted it to at all, but overall we grew as a team throughout the year. We wanted it to keep going, but things turned out the way it did for a reason.” Long was a force to be reckoned with on both sides of the ball. The senior Cyclone’s physical play made defenses and offenses key on him, but to no avail. Long ran for 619 yards, caught 28 passes for 397 yards and scored 21 total touchdowns On defense, Long accounted for 104 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and an interception. “I’ve always loved to be able to hit people,” Long noted. “That’s the fun part about football. I feel like I have to do whatever I can for the rest of my team. I feel like laying my body on the line is being as helpful as possible.” The Elkhorn Valley High School setter wrapped up her volleyball career this past October. Miller helped lead the Lady Falcons to a fourth-place finish in a very tough Niobrara Valley Conference tournament and was a set away from qualifying for the district championship match. “We had a very young team, including 13 freshmen, it was fun to help them out and get them that experience,” Miller stated. “I’m a very positive person and have such a big heart for volleyball, I love trying to express that in other people too. I work with them on being a better teammate and that helps me become a better teammate. It was really fun, everyone worked really hard and even though we didn’t end up where we wanted to be, we still had a pretty good season.” Miller was one of the most dynamic players in the area. Miller ranked in the top-five of every statistical category for EV this season, leading the squad in aces with 78 and assists with 466. The senior Lady Falcon was also second in digs (362) and third in kills (135). “I want to work to be the best at every position I can be,” Miller said. “Sometimes, you need somebody to step up and do that for the team. That’s was the kind of person I wanted to be. I wanted to be the girl that could help us get out of a sticky situation if we needed to. I pushed myself everyday in practice to be that player for our team and my teammates made me better so I could be that person for our team.” On behalf of everyone at ACN we like to congratulate Cole, Jacob and Amber on phenomenal seasons and careers, and wish them the best of luck with your future endeavors. Wow! What a start to the 2018-19 sports season for area teams. Several area fall teams had deep playoff runs led by spectacular play from their respective athletes.
With plenty of talent in the county, it is no wonder so many athletes ended up on the all-area team. With the help of coaches and staff, we narrowed down a field to 20 football and volleyball players and five cross country runners that stood above the rest all year long. Congratulations to all the honorees on both the All-Area teams and the honorable mention list. Your hard work did not go unnoticed. Football On the top 20 list for football, Antelope County placed 10 standouts on the team for 2018. Kyle Schumacher, Sr., Elgin Public/Pope John: Schumacher was the Wolfpack’s do everything man this season. Schumacher rushed for 411 yards, passed for 50 yards, caught 12 passes for 135 yards and recorded four total touchdowns. The senior was also the leading tackler with 77 tackles, a tackle for loss and a sack. Josh McFarland, Sr., Elkhorn Valley: The senior back had a big year for the Falcons and earned a spot on the all-area team for the third time. McFarland rushed for 747 yards, scored 16 touchdowns, collected 99 tackles and picked off three passes. Brock Schaecher, Sr., Elkhorn Valley: In Schaecher’s final year with EV, the senior caught 44 passes for 476 yards, recorded 64 tackles, recovered three fumbles and scored five touchdowns. Austin Rice, Sr., Neligh-Oakdale: Rice was the go-to target for the Warriors this season. Rice caught 42 passes for 849 yards and nine TDs. The senior linebacker was also big on defense, accumulating a team-high 85 tackles, four interceptions, eight pass breakups and 15 tackles for loss, to go along with three sacks. Rice also averaged 36.2 yards per punt. Andrew Herley, Sr., Neligh-Oakdale: For the second-time in his career, Herley found himself a spot on the all-area squad. Herley accumulated 749 yards of total offense and scored nine times for the Warriors. Herley also recovered a fumble and had 40 tackles on defense. Jacob Long, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard: Long earns a spot on the all-area team for the second-straight year. Long accumulated 1,016 yards of total offense and scored 21 touchdowns, but his defense was what set him a part from the rest. The senior Cyclone collected 104 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and an interception. Chris Kester, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard: OC’s dual-threat quarterback was influential in the Cyclones’ success this season and was placed on the all-area squad for the second time in his career. Kester passed for 1,135 yards and 15 TDs, and also added 673 yards and 15 scores on the ground. Kester recorded 52 tackles, a pick and a fumble recovery on defense, while averaging 30.3 yards per punt. Clay Thiele, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard: Thiele was a destructive force on the defensive line this season for the Cyclones, earning the all-area nod for the second consecutive year. Thiele recorded 18.5 sacks and broke the career sacks record at OC. The senior defensive lineman added 92 tackles, two fumble recoveries and 16 tackles for loss. Thiele also caught four touchdown passes and had 193 receiving yards. Ryan Wilhelm, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard: Wilhelm anchored OC’s dominant offensive and defensive line in 2018. Wilhelm helped the Cyclones rush for 2,734 yards and pass for 1,335. The senior also accounted for 46 tackles, four tackles for loss, five sacks, a fumble recovery, an interception and a touchdown. Eli Macke, Jr., Clearwater/Orchard: Macke had a breakout year in 2018. Macke rushed for a team-best 971 yards, to go along with 150 yards receiving and 15 TDs. The junior Cyclone added 72 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions on defense. Volleyball On the top 20 list for volleyball, Antelope County placed 11 standouts on the team for 2018. Allyson Wemhoff, Sr., Elgin Public/Pope John: Wemhoff was crucial in the Lady Wolfpack’s success for the 2018 campaign and picked up her second all-area nod. Wemhoff led the team with 700 assists, was second in digs with 325 and third in aces with 32. Kaylee Martinsen, Sr., Elgin Public/Pope John: Martinsen had a big season for EPPJ. Martinsen was the go-to attacker for the Lady Wolfpack, with a team-best 244 kills. Martinsen also was the top server for EPPJ with 46 aces and the leading blocker with 81 total blocks. Anna Heilhecker, Sr., Elgin Public/Pope John: The Lady Wolfpack libero had a strong defensive year for EPPJ in her senior year. Heilhecker collected a team-best 583 digs. The senior libero added 16 aces and 20 kills as well. Kayce Kallhoff, Jr., Elgin Public/Pope John: Kallhoff had a strong all-around season for EPPJ. Kallhoff was second on the team in kills with 196, fourth in total blocks with 39 and sixth in digs with 178. Amber Miller, Sr., Elkhorn Valley: Miller was the Lady Falcons’ do-it-all player on the hardwood this year and earned a spot on the all-area team for the third time in her career. Miller ranked in the top five of every statistical category for EV this season. Miller led the squad with 78 aces and 466 assists, was second in digs with 362 and third in kills with 135. Hannah Ollendick, Sr., Elkhorn Valley: Ollendick, a two-time all-area recipient, was the leader of EV’s potent attack. Ollendick tallied a team-best 256 kills. The senior also led the defense with 374 digs. Ollendick added 30 blocks and 34 aces. Sierra Rystrom, Sr., Elkhorn Valley: The Lady Falcon senior was a force in the middle for the Lady Falcons this season. Rystrom recorded 182 kills and led the team in blocks with 40. Rystrom also accounted for 25 aces and 251 digs. Haley Kerkman, Sr., Neligh-Oakdale: Kerkman was the leader for the Lady Warriors in numerous statistical categories. The senior was No. 1 on the team in kills 178 with, assists with 294 and aces with 55. The senior Lady Warrior also collected 161 digs and eight blocks. Kristen Snodgrass, Sr., Neligh-Oakdale: Snodgrass stepped up on the court and was the leader for the Lady Warriors this season. Snodgrass led the team in digs with 321, while also recording 53 assists, 25 aces and 10 kills. JoCee Johnston, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard: Another three-time all-area member, Johnston was the go-to attacker for the Lady Cyclones this season. Johnston was the team leader in kills with 270, aces with 32 and blocks with 91. The senior middle hitter also tallied 156 digs. Julian Tuttle, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard: Tuttle had a big season for OC this season to pick up her second all-area nod. The senior setter eclipsed 1,000 career assists this past year. Tuttle accounted for a team-high 529 assists and was second in digs with 157. Tuttle added 29 aces and 28 kills. Cross Country It was a fantastic season for Antelope County's cross country squads. Three athletes made the trip to Kearney and two came back with medals around their necks. All three state qualifiers were honored with a spot on the all-area team. Cole Belitz, Sr., Neligh-Oakdale: Belitz ended his cross country career with a bang. The senior runner won the Niobrara Valley Conference individual crown, qualified for the state meet for the second-straight year and after placing 12th, became the first Warrior in program history to receive a state medal. Emma Bixler, Jr., Neligh-Oakdale: Bixler continued her success on the course and earned a spot on the all-area team for the second time in her career. Bixler won the NVC individual crown and made her first state appearance in cross country, becoming the only N-O female athlete to qualify for state in cross country and a distance event in track. Hunter Bennett, So., Elkhorn Valley: Bennett took another step forward as he looks to establish himself as one of the top runner in the area this past season. Bennett made his second trip to Kearney, but this time brought back some hardware, after finishing 15th. Complete All-Area Lists The full all-area list, including athletes from Antelope, Holt, Boone and Knox counties, is below, listed alphabetically: Football Kyle Schumacher, Sr., Elgin Public/Pope John Josh McFarland, Sr., Elkhorn Valley Brock Schaecher, Sr., Elkhorn Valley Andrew Herley, Sr., Neligh-Oakdale Austin Rice, Sr., Neligh-Oakdale Jacob Long, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard Chris Kester, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard Clay Thiele, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard Eli Macke, Jr., Clearwater/Orchard Ryan Wilhelm, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard Travis Tyler, Sr., Creighton Bryce Zimmerer, Sr., Creighton Brayden Zimmerer, Jr., Creighton Cameron Tyler, Sr., Creighton J.D. Kuhlman, Sr., Creighton Mitchell Mackeprang, Sr., Bloomfield Braden Eisenhauer, Jr., Bloomfield Trenton Holz, Sr., Bloomfield Brantson Gieselman, Sr., Bloomfield Drew Munter Sr., Wausa Volleyball Allyson Wemhoff, Sr., Elgin Public/Pope John Kaylee Martinsen, Sr., Elgin Public/Pope John Anna Heilhecker, Sr., Elgin Public/Pope John Kayce Kallhoff, Jr., Elgin Public/Pope John Amber Miller, Sr., Elkhorn Valley Hannah Ollendick, Sr., Elkhorn Valley Sierra Rystrom, Sr., Elkhorn Valley Haley Kerkman, Sr., Neligh-Oakdale Kristen Snodgrass, Sr., Neligh-Oakdale JoCee Johnston, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard Julian Tuttle, Sr., Clearwater/Orchard Megan Cook, Sr., Niobrara/Verdigre Anna Steffen, Sr., Crofton Danielle Steffen, Sr., Crofton Josie Sanger, Sr., Crofton Kirsten Adams, Sr., Creighton Ashtyn Fritz, Sr., Creighton Maycee Zimmerer, Fr., Creighton Paige Nissen, Sr., Wausa Brooklyn Eisenhauer, Jr., Bloomfield Cross Country Cole Belitz, Sr., Neligh-Oakdale Emma Bixler, Jr., Neligh-Oakdale Hunter Bennett, So., Elkhorn Valley Bree Eisenhauer, Jr., Bloomfield/Wausa Tanner Arens, Sr., Crofton Tyler Janssen, Sr., Crofton Honorable Mention, football EPPJ - Hunter Reestman Elkhorn Valley - Braden Ollendick, Adam Miller, Prestin Vondra, Damien Knight OC - Blake Hoke, Zach King, Tommie Peed Neligh-Oakdale - Hunter Charf, Jayden Arehart Santee - Romeo White Crofton - Andy Knapp, Jimmy Allen, Brad Tomasek Bloomfield - Will Fehringer, Dylan Kauth Wausa - Ghatlin Hegge, Ethan Baue Niobrara/Verdigre - Tim Reyes, Trey Sucha Creighton - Thad Hazen, Clay Curtis Honorable Mention, volleyball EPPJ - Grace Rittscher, Haley Zegers Elkhorn Valley - Olivia Nall OC - Katie Stearns, Taylor Sanne, Avery Cheatum Santee - Ashleigh Wabasha, Hannah Sheridan Crofton - Ryah Ostermeyer Bloomfield - Michaela Johnson, Brynn Bargman Wausa - Ruth Johnson, Liz Johnson Honorable Mention, cross country Neligh-Oakdale - Griffin Claussen, Haley Bixler Bloomfield - Ann Woockman, Hannah Hubers, Ella McFarland (22:37.9), Emily Woockman Crofton - Tyler Janssen, Connor Arens Several local volleyball players were honored with all-Niobrara Valley Conference honors when the all-conference list was released on Tuesday.
Elgin Public/Pope John seniors Allyson Wemhoff and Anna Heilhecker, along with Clearwater/Orchard senior JoCee Johnston and Elkhorn Valley senior Amber Miller, were named first team all NVC. Ewing's Miranda Summers, Ashley Koenig, Tiana Thramer and Sidney Stallbaum joined the four Antelope County players of the first team. Earning second team honers included EPPJ senior Kaylee Martinsen, OC senior Katie Stearns, EV senior Hannah Ollendick, Neligh-Oakdale seniors Kristen Snodgrass and Haley Kerkman and Ewing's Jaidyn Schindler and Brenna Wagner. Honorable mention nods went to Santee's Hannah Sheridan, Niobrara/Verdigre's Megan Cook, N-O junior Amanda Dietz, EPPJ senior Grace Rittscher and junior Haley Zegers, OC sophomore Avery Cheatum, EV senior Sierra Rystrom and junior Olivia Nall and Ewing's Summer Schroeder. Numerous Clearwater/Orchard football players were named to the D2-5 all-district team after a stellar 2018 season.
First team offensive players were seniors Chris Kester at quarterback, Ryan Wilhelm at offensive line and Blake Hoke at end. Clay Thiele (defensive line) and Jacob Long (linebacker) earned first-team defensive honors. Junior Eli Macke (running back), senior Zach King (defensive line) and senior Tommie Peed (defensive line) were named to the second team. Senior Donaven Nolze, along with juniors Gage Switzer and Houston Marino, earned a spot on the honorable mention team. The third-ranked Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family volleyball team proved to be too much for Elgin Public/Pope John in the Class D1 district championship match Saturday at Boone Central.
"I don't want to take anything away from Humphrey," stated EPPJ coach Tina Thiele-Blecher. "They are a very good team and we knew coming in they were a good team, but I feel like our girls maybe made them better than what they were. We might have psyched ourselves out a little bit. The (Taya) Beller girl is very hard hitting. We had her blocked a couple of times, but we didn't settle in, pass the ball and play Wolfpack ball like we can. It's tough to lose a season, but it's even tougher when you don't play your best ball to end the season." It was a back-and-forth battle to start the match. Leading 7-6, the Lady Bulldogs went on a 7-1 run to take a 13-6 advantage. EPPJ responded with a 6-1 run to cut the deficit to three. Kayce Kallhoff recorded two kills during the run. Leading by three, H/LHF ended the set on an 8-1 run and captured the set, 25-15, on a Taya Beller kill. A hot start by the Lady Bulldogs propelled them to a 25-17 set two win. H/LHF went on a 7-0 run after surrendering the opening point and led by as much as 10 during the set. The Lady Wolfpack chipped away at the lead, but the big hole was too much to overcome. After two Kaylee Martinsen kills tied the score at two in the third set, the Lady Bulldogs went on a 13-3 run to claim a 15-5 lead. EPPJ rallied to draw within five at 23-18, but H/LHF won the set, 25-17, and the match on a Lady Wolfpack error and kill by Beller. "The girls have done that (rallied) all year and I'm very thankful for the girls," Thiele-Blecher said. "They keep working, keep digging and never give up. I really thought that third set was not going to be the prettiest one, but we battled. You have to be thankful for that and there's some life skills that have been taught." Beller led the Lady Bulldogs collecting 15 of H/LHF’s 30 kills, and adding three aces and 18 digs. Allie Schneider had six kills, 14 digs, 20 assists and three aces, Addison Schneider contributed three kills and a block and McKenna Roelle pitched in two aces. Martinsen led the Lady Wolfpack in kills with nine, blocks with four and added eight digs. Kallhoff accounted for five kills, seven digs and two blocks, Haley Zegers recorded four kills, 14 digs an ace and two blocks, Allyson Wemhoff tallied 14 digs and 18 assists, Anna Heilhecker had 12 digs and two aces and Grace Rittscher added five digs. Humphrey Lindsay Holy Family (27-4) advances to the state tournament Thursday at Lincoln East. Elgin Public/Pope John ends its season with a 21-12 record. The Lady Wolfpack had another solid season, finishing third in the Niobrara Valley Conference tournament, behind CWC and Ewing who both advanced to the state tournament with wins on Saturday, and was the district runner-up. EPPJ graduates four seniors. Heilhecker, Martinsen, Wemhoff and Rittscher all suited up for the Lady Wolfpack one final time. "You hate to see your seniors leave and this group is special," Thiele-Blecher concluded. "This group of four's work ethic during the summer helped develop the program. Other than Grace coming in, these girls have been in districts every year or the year we went to state on a wild card. They have a lot to be proud of. We're going to miss them tremendously and we wish them the best. We're ready for some of the younger ones to step up and take their place." Elgin Public/Pope John 15 17 17 Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 25 25 25 Elgin Public/Pope John - Haley Zegers 4k, 1a, 2b, 14d; Kaylee Martinsen 9k, 4b, 8d; Allyson Wemhoff 14d, 18sa; Grace Rittscher 5d; Kayce Kallhoff 5k, 2b, 7d; Harlie Bode 2k, 2b, 1d; Kirsten Krebs 1b, 2d, 1sa; Ally Selting 1d; Anna Heilhecker 2a, 12d. For 25 years, the same face has roamed the course coaching the Neligh-Oakdale cross country. Next fall, a new face takes over to lead the Warrior runners.
On Oct. 30, assistant cross country coach, Kali Bohling, was promoted to head coach by the Neligh-Oakdale administration following head coach Rick Eickholt's official resignation on Oct. 29. Bohling replaces Eickholt, who started the Warrior cross country program in 1994 and has served as the head mentor longer than Bohling has even been alive. “The timing is right for me as a young teacher and young professional,” Bohling stated. “I’m blessed to be at Neligh-Oakdale right now where I can pursue both my passions, in agriculture and athletics. We graduate a lot of seniors this year and coach Eickholt thought the time was right with a new young team to turn over the reigns. We bring back a lot of talent next year and we hope to build off that going forward. It’s a great opportunity to learn and a great opportunity to learn and grow as a coach.” Bohling was a volunteer coach in 2017 and served as Eickholt’s first paid assistant this past season. “Her knowledge is certainly going to work to take it to the next level,” Eickholt said. “In the last five or six years, our program has taken a really positive and upward turn. We’ve had some of the best seasons we’ve had in the last five or six years, both team wise and individually. Coach Bohling brings a whole different perspective as far as her experiences as an athlete and coach. I expect the program to do nothing but continue to grow and improve.” The new mentor was influential in the Warriors success this past season, helping guide Cole Belitz and Emma Bixler to individual Niobrara Valley Conference titles and qualifications to the state meet. Belitz placed 12th at the state meet and is the first-ever medalist in N-O cross country history. “This year with coach Bohling as an assistant and being able to talk about things, such as workouts, situations with athletes and etc., it really made my job a lot easier,” Eickholt said. “With coach Bohling being able to move up, having experienced some of those things and still having somebody to kick ideas around with, I think it’s going to be great.” Bohling’s passion for cross country started when she ran for her alma mater from 2009-12. “I ran for four years in high school for Logan View Public Schools where I had the great pleasure of running for coaches Gary Samuelson and Joe Foust,” Bohling said. “Both have played a huge role in my life. The program where I came from is probably where my passion comes from for the sport. I never had any intentions of running and actually told them in eighth grade at our home meet this is the last thing you’ll ever find me doing. Several years later, I ran for four years and now I’m coaching it. It’s a passion. Every student gets to participate, you get to cheer for athletes running by, no matter what school you’re from, and no one sits the bench. What draws me to the sport is it’s a full participation and you can be as good as you want to be in the sport.” After high school, Bohling graduated from the University of Nebraska Lincoln in 2017 and is the current FFA advisor and agricultural educator at Neligh-Oakdale. Despite being one of the youngest coaches in any sport in the area, the UNL graduate brings a great deal of experience to the program as a former runner and serving under several quality coaches as an assistant. “She had a nice cross country background athletically when she was in high school and she ran for a good program,” noted Neligh-Oakdale Athletic Director Ron Beacom. “She had the chance to work with a quality program in Crofton when she was student teaching. She has a really good background and is a high quality person.” The 24-year-old coach believes her youth may be a benefit as well for the program. “Something I try to do and something that was modeled to me by my coaches in high school is my coaches always ran with us,” Bohling recalled. “I want to continue to be able to do that and I think that really helps. You feel the same things the athletes do. When your legs are tired, their legs are tired as well. That’s an added benefit and it’s new life (to the program). Coach Eickholt doesn’t give himself enough credit for the knowledge he has. He has a lot of knowledge he has passed down to me. I have new ideas and there will be new things going forward, but for the most part, the program will look the same going forward into next year.” Bohling’s knowledge and familiarity with the Warrior runners also made her the perfect choice to take over for Eickholt. “There is always that perception you’re going to take someone from within,” Beacom said. “That’s not always the case and what’s best for a program, but we are fortunate to have Miss Bohling with us right now. We’re really lucky because there are a lot of programs, and even programs in our own building, that don’t have an assistant that’s ready to be a head coach. But in this case, we could have made it a national search and Kali would have been the right person for our job.” With several strong runners back next year for the Warriors, Bohling expects to take Neligh-Oakdale to another level and continue what Eickholt started. “We have a lot of young really promising talent,” Bohling concluded. “We have a runner right now who feels they came up a little short (last year), but I think the sky is the limit for them, along with the other ones who come back. Hopefully, we take it to the next level to make it to the state meet and there’s another opportunity for growth. Some things are going to get started here in the offseason. If you want to be a good runner, you have to run all year round and that’s something we’re doing with our offseason training program starting in a week or so. We will rely on our young talent and there are some athletes walking the halls that aren’t anything right now, but we want to encourage them to join a team and contribute to what we have. That could really help us going forward.” For the entirety of the Neligh-Oakdale cross country program, there has always been one person associated with Warrior cross country. That person is taking a step back and passing the torch on.
In a letter to the administration, Rick Eickholt officially announced last week that he is stepping down as head cross country coach. In a phone call with the N-O administration the next day, they confirmed Eickholt’s resignation. “I’ve looked for a way to lessen some of my school responsibilities the last couple of years,” Eickholt stated. “I didn’t want to give up the cross country program unless I knew I would be able to move it on to someone who is interested, knowledgeable and someone who would work hard to keep the program working.” Athletes across Eickholt’s 25-year coaching career reflected on the impact their coach had on their athletic careers. “He has been a really big mentor for me,” said N-O senior Cole Belitz. “I can talk to him about anything I need to. He’s the one that got me going with cross country. After junior high I was going to do football, but thought I was too tiny to do football. So I wasn’t going to do anything in the fall. Then he came to my house and convinced me give cross country a try. He constantly helped me improve, was never negative, always positive and he is really nice. You can talk to him about anything, whether it’s track and cross country, or just anything.” Starting the program Eickholt has been a staple of Neligh-Oakdale athletics and joined the Warrior teaching staff as an elementary teacher in 1985. In the early 1990s, the Warrior track and field coaches decided to convince the school to start a cross country program to improve the distance portion of the track team. “I did all of the leg work and getting the program started. I thought our distance coach for track and field was going to be the head cross country coach,” Eickholt said. “I wasn’t expecting to be the cross country coach, but I’ve learned to love it. I was not a distance runner in high school. I was a sprinter, jumper and hurdler and, unfortunately, I still have that mentality from time to time. That’s why it was so great to have another distance person to talk about workouts and other things. I thoroughly enjoyed my time as the cross country coach. I got to know some wonderful people, I’ve had some wonderful young men and women to work with, I’ve seen some outstanding athletes in the area and around the state and it’s been a positive experience all the way around.” Since the inaugural season in 1994, the Neligh-Oakdale cross country program has grown and improved to become one of the most competitive cross country programs in the area. “The growth that I have seen in the program is shown in the competitiveness and ability of younger runners,” said 1997 N-O graduate Jeff Carpenter. “Course and all-time records continue to fall. I’m not sure if I am even in the Top 10 of anything anymore.” Time To Retire Eickholt waited to pass the baton to the right person to take over the program as assistant coach, Kali Bohling is now tasked with the leading the program. Coach Bohling brings a whole different perspective as far as her experiences as an athlete and coach. “I expect the program to do nothing but continue to grow and improve,” Eickholt said. Bohling said she appreciated the advice Eickholt gave during her two years of volunteer and assistant coaching. “It’s been a great opportunity to work under coach Eickholt,” Bohling said. “It’s been a great learning opportunity to see how he’s run his program, from a coach who’s been in the business for a long time. How he works with athletes and how he presents information to the athletes before a meet, is something I’ll take away and look to incorporate next year.” Program Success Eickholt has coached seven conference champions, 69 all-conference runners, 19 state qualifiers, the 2013 girls team state qualifying and one state medalist. “He is the one who started the program and it’s been his from the beginning,” Bohling added. “He has been the only one behind the wheel. The culture he has built, is something the athletes take a lot of pride in. The foundation has been laid really well.” Eickholt’s final season was a special year. Numerous records fell and there were several program firsts, including the school’s first state medalist. “It was really special,” Eickholt noted. “It has been something we had as a goal at day one, to bring home a medalist at the state meet. We didn’t really advertise that a great deal, but it didn’t take long once we were into the season to realize that had a real strong possibility of becoming a reality. Because of Cole and Emma’s (Bixler) hard work, they both had great seasons. Probably the two greatest individual seasons in school history. That makes it a lot easier to say, ‘Hey, this is the right time to move on.’ ” Eickholt capped his coaching career with Bixler and Belitz each winning an individual conference crown and earning a state qualification. Belitz captured a state medal and a spot on the podium with a 12th-place finish at the state meet. “It’s pretty cool,” Belitz said on ending Eickholt’s career with a state medalist. “I knew going into this year this was going to be his last year as head coach. Our goal was to make state as a team because he’s never had a boys team qualify. But we got thrown into a really hard district. We realized that chance went down a lot, but being able to go out with another first in school history for him, is pretty cool.” Lasting Impact Eickholt has been a renaissance coach throughout his career. During his 37 years of coaching, the Iowa native has served as an assistant or head coach for cross country, track, football, wrestling, baseball, softball and basketball. “The consistency is always a good thing,” said N-O Athletic Director Ron Beacom. “He is a high charactered person and has the kids’ well being at the center of his philosophy. It’s always a good thing and if you can get someone like that and keep them for a number of years; it’s good for the school and great for the program.” Eickholt’s impact has gone far beyond the course and the track. “Coach Eickholt was always very realistic and encouraging,” Carpenter said. “He and I always had good honest conversations about my workouts and whether I should do my own workout versus that of the team, his expectations for me each meet, about what to expect from my competition at meets, about where to take advantage of my strengths during meets, and how to serve as a leader for the team. Coach and I have continued to have a good relationship through the years that crossed over to my time on the Board of Education and fundraising efforts to replace the track.” Eickholt continues to stay in contact with former athletes. “I wasn’t thinking about running in college until the coach from Concordia found I was coming here and he did some research on me. He found me and wanted me to run for him,” said 2017 N-O graduate Kasi Grosserode, who just finished her sophomore season of cross country at Concordia University. “When I told Eickholt about it he thought it was incredible. Coach Eickholt said, ‘Let’s do some work and see what you can do.’ ” All three runners reflected on memorable stories about their former coach. “I remember a lot of laughter during my time running for him,” Carpenter recalled. “I think some of my best memories with coach took place much more recently when we both worked on fundraising efforts for the track.” It is hard to believe that anyone ever got upset with the cross country mentor, but Grosserode recalled such a time. “We had our watermelon run and every year we have a river run,” Grosserode said. “One year, we went out for this river run and we were done and having watermelon afterwards. We were messing around in the river after practice and a lady came up and was so mad at us. She came storming over to him (Eickholt) and she was yelling at him for letting us do this. She was all up in his face. We thought he was going to get hit or something. It was so funny after the fact. We were all laughing after she left.” Belitz remembers a different side of coach that not many people saw. “I remember watching movies at his house for pre-meet meals and his girly little laugh he did all the time,” said the N-O senior. “That was pretty funny. I remember him getting mad at a lady walking through (our practice) looking for her dog and he yelled at her and told her to get out of practice. That was pretty funny.” Although it may be the end of Eickholt’s head coaching career in cross country, the longtime elementary teacher still plans on helping with the program and continuing to serve as the head track and field coach. “I’m actually looking forward to being told what to do instead of making the decisions myself,” Eickholt said. “There were moments throughout the season I was emotional about the situation. But within the last couple of weeks, I’ve really come to grips with it. I’m at ease with it and the program is in great hands. It’s not like I’m completely walking away from the program. I’m still going to be able to contribute in certain ways. I’m really comfortable with where we are right now and with where the program is going to go in the future.” Turnovers, penalties and mistakes at the wrong time cost the Clearwater/Orchard football team in its second-round matchup against Lawrence-Nelson Wednesday afternoon at Lawrence in the Class D-2 state playoffs.
The Cyclones turned the ball over three times and committed almost 50 yards in penalties. "It was just not our day," stated OC mentor Jeff Shabram. "Lawrence-Nelson is a really good, tough and physical team. I guess today just wasn't our day." OC struck first with a one-yard TD plunge by Jacob Long and a Chris Kester two-point conversion run for an 8-0 lead. L-N answered on the ensuing drive when Lane Heikkinen sprung free for 37-yard score and two-point conversion. Following a failed fake punt attempt, the Raiders executed a textbook double pass as Blake Janda found Brody Himmelberg for a 33-yard touchdown. The Cyclones struck back with a 22-yard TD run by Kester and a Long two-point conversion reception to take a 16-14 advantage. After a goal line stand by OC, the Cyclones fumbled on their first offensive play of the drive and L-N cashed in with a six-yard TD reception by Himmelberg, to take a 20-16 lead into the half. Following a three-and-out to start the second half for the Raiders, OC methodically drove the field, 62 yards in 10 plays, and reclaimed the lead on an Eli Macke 16-yard touchdown reception. On the Cyclones next drive, Kester connected on a 25-yard TD pass to Blake Hoke to extend the green and black's lead to 30-20. L-N responded on its next drive with a five-yard touchdown reception by Janda. Macke set up the Cyclones with great field position after returning the ensuing kickoff to the 40, but the Raiders recorded their fourth sack of the game to put OC in a fourth-and-long and forced a punt. Heikkinen found an open Trevin Lotinek, who broke a tackle, and scampered 30 yards to the house. A PAT gave the home team a 33-30 advantage with 6:11 remaining in the contest. With still plenty of time remaining, OC went to its potent running attack and drove to the L-N 35-yard line with two minutes remaining in the game. On fourth-and-one, Kester was stuffed on a quarterback sneak and the Cyclones turned the ball over on downs. The Raiders ran out the clock, to secure the upset, and advance to the state quarterfinals, where Lawrence-Nelson (7-3) travels to Kenesaw Tuesday. Heikkinen led the way with more than 100 yards passing, 100 yards rushing and four total touchdowns. Himmelberg caught five passes for more than 70 yards and two scores. Long led the Cyclones with 108 yards rushing and a touchdown. Macke accumulated more than 93 yards of offense and a receiving touchdown and Kester ran for 44 yards, passed for 66 yards and collected three total TDs. Donaven Nolze had a monster game defensively after recording numerous tackles for loss and a sack. Clearwater/Orchard ends its season with an 8-2 record. Twelve seniors played their final game for the Cyclones. Tristan Ahlers, Austin Pokorny, Ryan Wilhelm, Jaccob Bennett, Codey Snider, Tommie Peed, Zach King, Nolze, Kester, Long, Hoke and Clay Thiele helped guide OC to its first district title as a consolidated program in 2018. "The seniors are awesome and they're great," Shabram concluded. "I've loved coaching them every day, preparing with them, game planning with them and they're great. We're going to miss them, we're really going to miss them." OC 8 8 14 0 - 30 L-N 14 6 0 13 - 33 Clearwater/Orchard - Passing: Chris Kester 5-11-1 66 yards. Rushing: Jacob Long 21-108. Eli Macke 18-74. Chris Kester 18-44. Receiving: Blake Hoke 1-25. Eli Macke 2-19. Clay Thiele 1-19. Jacob Long 1-3. After a thrilling 5-set victory in subdistricts, the Wolfpack volleyball team advances to the district final Saturday where they will face the Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family Bulldogs.
The D1-3 district final is slated to be played at 3 p.m. at Boone Central in Albion on Saturday, Nov. 3. Elgin Public/ Pope John was seeded #14 and HLHF has been seeded #3. For the second time in less than a week, the Elgin Public/Pope John volleyball team rallied from a 2-0 deficit against Elkhorn Valley to win in five sets.
"This time of year all that matters is winning and we did that tonight," stated EPPJ coach Tina Thiele-Blecher. "I was nervous in that second set that they were thinking 'Oh it happened Friday night (EPPJ rallies to win) and it will happen again.' I told the girls you can't bank on that and you have to start playing ball. We got a little fire and we settled down. We were so tense in the first two sets, a couple of bad errors and you could see them freaking out a little bit." The Lady Wolfpack rallied to defeat EV to finish third in the Niobrara Valley Conference tournament last Friday, and Tuesday's come-from-behind victory sealed a spot in the Class D-1 district title match. "This was a tough one," said EV coach Emily Vaughn. 'We knew it would not be easy, but you are never prepared to lose in five (sets). This game is such a mental game, and I felt like sometimes tonight we lacked the confidence because we weren't very consistent. We wanted to keep attacking, but I felt we had a hard time making adjustments. Credit EPPJ and their defense. We had seen it before, but they really didn't let any balls drop." The win moves EPPJ one win closer to a state tournament appearance. "We are always going to try to keep getting better each and every day," commented EPPJ senior Anna Heilhecker. "We're going to keep pushing each other. encouraging each other. and we're going to keep going." The Lady Falcons opened the match with a 25-21 set win. Trailing by two, EV used a 13-2 run to claim an 18-9 lead. EPPJ rallied to draw within one, but the Lady Falcons held on and won the set on a Hannah Ollendick kill. A hot start propelled the green and black to a 25-13 triumph in set two. EV scored 12 of the first 16 points in the set and cruised to a 12-point win. "I told them we just have to play volleyball," Thiele-Blecher said. "We're so tense with one little error. It's passing, setting and hitting. One of my little things (I say) is it's a cowhide with air, play volleyball. They found it in them to settle down and play." The rally was on for EPPJ. Tied at 15 in the third set, the Lady Wolfpack ended the set on a 10-2 run and captured their first set win, 25-17, on a Kaylee Martinsen kill. "We all talked to each other and knew this wasn't our last game," said EPPJ senior Allyson Wemhoff. "We've battled back in five sets before and we knew we had to bring the energy in the last three sets. All the girls delivered and it was really fun. We pulled together and played like the team we are. We love each other, so it was easy." The red and white once again surged past the Lady Falcons with a 13-4 run to end the fourth set and win, 25-16. Senior Grace Rittscher served the final seven points of the set and Kayce Kallhoff forced a decisive fifth set with a kill. "Coach (Thiele-Blecher) really stresses serves," Rittscher noted. "Every day at practice, we practice a lot on serves. I knew I had to get it over and in, over and in and over and in. Coach told us in the huddle every time to focus on over and in. It just works I guess." The packed crowd at Norfolk Catholic was treated to a volleyball masterpiece in the final set. Elkhorn Valley opened the set with a 4-1 run thanks to two blocks by Sierra Rystrom and a kill and block by Olivia Nall, but EPPJ answered with an 8-1 run. Trailing 11-7, the Lady Falcons scored five of the next six points to tie the match at 12 thanks to three kills and an ace by Ollendick during the run. The Lady Wolfpack ended the set on a 3-0 run and completed the comeback on a Martinsen kill to win the match, and go a perfect 6-0 against Antelope County squads in 2018. "I've never felt more excited in my life," Martinsen said. "It feels great to beat EV for the third time, even though I love playing against those girls. Once the ball hit the floor, I couldn't believe it. We are one win away from state and I can't wait." Ollendick led the Lady Falcons with 16 kills, two aces, two blocks and 35 digs. Rystrom recorded eight kills, three aces, two blocks, two assists and 22 digs, Amber Miller accounted for three kills, seven aces, 35 digs and 28 assists, Nall tallied nine kills, six blocks, six assists and 34 digs, Haley Fleetwood added two aces, two blocks and 19 digs and Kaylee Bacon had three blocks. It was a total team effort for EPPJ in the win. Three different players recorded at least 12 kills led by Martinsen with 17 kills, six blocks, 25 digs and an ace. Haley Zegers accumulated 14 kills, 13 digs and five blocks, Kallhoff pitched in 12 kills, an ace and three blocks, Wemhoff recorded 23 digs and 38 assists, Rittscher added 16 digs and two aces and Heilhecker collected more than 28 digs. "It's huge for us this year that we don't ever rely on just one person," Thiele-Blecher said. "The mental toughness of every girl knowing that the set can come to me or the expectation to get the serve over and in. It's huge for our team. It was definitely a team effort tonight and they did that." Elkhorn Valley ends its season with an 18-11 record. Miller, Rystrom and Ollendick are the lone seniors on the Lady Falcons squad, but are three hard players to replace. "As far as the season goes, I know this isn't how and when we wanted it to end," Vaughn said. "Especially the seniors, they wanted another district championship. They really left their mark. They have helped us build our program up again and are competitors and push the team to get better every day. They set the bar pretty high, and have been fun to watch grow as volleyball players and off the court as well." Elgin Public/Pope John (21-11) awaits its district finals opponent. The Class D-2 district finals are schedule for Saturday and the winner advances to the state tournament next week. "We'll take one game at a time and we're two-thirds of the way there (from qualifying for state)," Thiele-Blecher concluded. "Hopefully we get a little film on whoever we're playing and we just have to get out there and play our kind of ball. We can't worry about so much on who's on the other side of the net. We have to play Wolfpack ball on our side of the net." EPPJ 21 13 25 25 15 EV 25 25 17 16 12 Elgin Public/Pope John - Haley Zegers 14k, 5b, 13d; Kaylee Martinsen 17k, 1a, 6b, 25d, 1sa; Allyson Wemhoff 1k, 1a, 23d, 38sa; Lexi Bode 4k, 2b; Grace Rittscher 2a, 16d, 2sa; Kayce Kallhoff 12k, 1a, 3b, 14d; Harlie Bode 4k, 7d, 1sa; Kirsten Krebs 7d, 4sa; Anna Heilhecker 28d. Elkhorn Valley - Olivia Nall 9k, 6b, 34d, 6sa; Bria Gale 13d; Carney Black 1k, 1b, 9d; Haley Fleetwood 2a, 2b, 19d; Amber Miller 3k, 7a, 35d, 28sa; Hannah Ollendick 16k, 2a, 2b, 35d; Kaylee Bacon 2k, 1a, 3b, 6d; Sierra Rystrom 8k, 3a, 2b, 22d, 2sa. Elkhorn Valley looked like the top seed on Monday as the Falcons dominated Plainview in the Class D1-7 subdistrict at Norfolk Catholic.
Sierra Rystrom had a big night for the Falcons with 10 kills and 11 digs while Hannah Ollendick put down another seven kills and had 12 digs in the win. Amber Miller was as versatile as even with six kills, four ace serves, a dozen digs and 20 set assists. With the win, Elkhorn Valley earned a rematch against Elgin Public/Pope John on Tuesday night. The two met over the weekend in the Niobrara Valley Conference consolation game. Plainview 9 17 8 Elkhorn Valley 25 25 25 Elkhorn Valley: Olivia Nall 3k, 10d, 7sa; Bria Gale 8d; Carney Black 4k, 3d, 1sa; Haley Fleetwood 1k, 2a, 10d; Amber Miller 6k, 4a, 1b, 12d, 20sa; Hannah Ollendick 7k, 2a, 12d, 1sa; Kaylee Bacon 4k, 6a, 6d; Sierra Rystrom 10k, 1a, 1b, 11d. Elgin Public/Pope John swept Clearwater/Orchard on Monday at the D1-7 subdistrict at Norfolk Catholic and earned another meeting with Elkhorn Valley on Tuesday.
EPPJ defeated Clearwater/Orchard 25-22, 25-21, 25-12. The Wolfpack move onto the subdistrict final against the Falcons in a rematch of the Niobrara Valley Conference consolation match. The Wolfpack were down 0-2 but rallied to defeated Elkhorn Valley in five sets. Against the Cyclones, the Wolfpack earned the sweep, but OC battled hard in the first two sets and made EPPJ work for the wins. Haley Zegers led the Wolfpack with 11 kills and 11 digs while Kayce Kallhoff added another nine kills and eight digs and Kristen Krebs had seven kills and nine digs. The subdistrict final is slated for a 7 p.m. start Tuesday at Norfolk Catholic. EPPJ 25 25 25 OC 22 21 12 EPPJ: Haley Zegers 11k, 2a, 1b, 11d, 1sa; Kaylee Martinsen 7k, 1a, 2b, 5d; Allyson Wemhoff 2k, 2a, 5d, 27sa; Grace Rittscher 2a, 7d; Kayce Kallhoff 9k, 8d, 1sa; Harlie Bode 1k, 2a, 1d; Kirsten Krebs 7k, 9d, 2sa; Anna Heilhecker 1a, 25d. OC: Avery Cheatum 4k, 4d; Katie Stearns 6k, 2a, 1b, 2d; Julian Tuttle 1a, 1d, 24sa; JoCee Johnston 10k, 1a, 5b, 2d; Taelyn Switzer 4k, 2a, 2d; Taylor Sanne 2k, 3a, 1b, 2sa. Clearwater/Orchard ended it season after a tough bout with Elgin Public Pope John at the D1-7 subdistrict at Norfolk Catholic. The Cyclones matched EPPJ nearly point for point for the first two matches but couldn't keep up the pace against the Wolfpack, who finished third in the Niobrara Valley Conference tournament over the weekend.
EPPJ defeated Clearwater/Orchard 25-22, 25-21, 25-12. The Wolfpack move onto the subdistrict final on Tuesday against Elkhorn Valley. JoCee Johnston had another strong night at the net, knocking down 10 kills and block five attempts from the Wolfpack. Julian Tuttle added to her four-figure collection of set assists with another 24. Tuttle also connected with Katie Stearns for six kills, along with Avery Cheatum and Taelyn Switzer for four kills each. The Cyclones end the season with a 17-12 record. OC seniors are Julian Tuttle, Taylor Sanne, JoCee Johnston and Katie Stearns. EPPJ 25 25 25 OC 22 21 12 EPPJ: Haley Zegers 11k, 2a, 1b, 11d, 1sa; Kaylee Martinsen 7k, 1a, 2b, 5d; Allyson Wemhoff 2k, 2a, 5d, 27sa; Grace Rittscher 2a, 7d; Kayce Kallhoff 9k, 8d, 1sa; Harlie Bode 1k, 2a, 1d; Kirsten Krebs 7k, 9d, 2sa; Anna Heilhecker 1a, 25d. OC: Avery Cheatum 4k, 4d; Katie Stearns 6k, 2a, 1b, 2d; Julian Tuttle 1a, 1d, 24sa; JoCee Johnston 10k, 1a, 5b, 2d; Taelyn Switzer 4k, 2a, 2d; Taylor Sanne 2k, 3a, 1b, 2sa. Neligh-Oakdale dove for every last ball Monday night as the Warriors fought to extend their season one more match into subdistricts, leaving everything on the court through the final play. But Plainview was too much to over come as Neligh-Oakdale fell in a five-set heartbreaker to end the season.
In the D1-7 subdistrict at Norfolk Catholic, Plainview defeated Neligh-Oakdale 25-18, 22-25, 20-25, 25-16, 15-11 in a nearly two-hour match. The Warriors struggled early and spotted Plainview an 8-0 lead to start the match. Neligh-Oakdale played catch-up the rest of the first set and put together a strong run that carried over to the second and third sets. The Warriors' scrappy play and quick feet led to a 2-1 advantage as Neligh-Oakdale looked to put the Pirates away in the fourth set. But errors plagued the Warriors in the fourth as Plainview evened the match to force a decisive fifth set. The Warriors looked to be a step ahead of Plainview as they stayed a point or two up on the Pirates, but Plainview didn't let Neligh-Oakdale build a cushion and pulled ahead at 11-10 and never relinquished the lead. Neligh-Oakdale ended the season with a 16-12 record behind senior leaders and co-captains Kristen Snodgrass and Haley Kerkman. The Elgin Public/Pope John and Elkhorn Valley volleyball teams put on a show Friday night in front of a jammed pack crowd at Niobrara for the final day of the Niobrara Valley Conference tournament.
The Lady Wolfpack came back from a two-set deficit to defeat EV, 3-2, and finish third in the conference tournament. "We played ball like we knew how to all of a sudden in those last three sets," commented EPPJ coach Tina Thiele-Blecher. "We had to change the lineup because we had a girl gone for national FFA and I guess we shouldn't have changed the lineup. It threw it us off and I told the girls they were playing like they did at the beginning of the season. We went back to our normal lineup, subbed Lexi (Bode) in, and she did a great job, and we just played ball." The first set was a back-and-forth battle between the two county foes, with four ties and two different lead changes in the first 27 points. After an attack error by the Lady Falcons cut their lead to 15-14, EV went on an 8-3 run and ended the set on a Kaylee Bacon kill. Back-to-back kills by Hannah Ollendick gave EV a 17-13 lead in the second set and Sierra Rystrom and Bacon gave the green and black a two-set lead with a kill each to end the set. "We played a little timid even though we came out strong in the first couple of sets," said EV coach Emily Vaughn. "We got some breaks early and I'd like to see us hit the ball more than we did and keep attacking at the net. We just got complacent and maybe let our foot off the gas pedal a little too soon." Tied at three in the third set, EPPJ used a 9-2 run to claim a 12-5 advantage. A block by Rystrom cut the lead to 24-22, but Haley Zegers ended the set with a kill. "Coach told us she knew we were better than that and we knew we were better than how we played in the first two sets," stated EPPJ senior Anna Heilhecker. "We kept working and we started clicking together. We picked up our defense and we started picking up more balls." The fourth set was all Lady Wolfpack thanks to a 7-1 run to start the set. Kaylee Martinsen recorded four kills in the first seven points for EPPJ. Martinsen scored two aces to end the set, 25-13, and a force a decisive fifth set. "We had to have a lot of trust out there to not let balls drop," Heilhecker added. "We lacked communication in the first two sets, so we picked it up and it worked." The momentum swayed back-and-forth in the fifth set. A Martinsen kill and EV error, put the Lady Wolfpack up 11-7. The Lady Falcons responded with a 4-0 run and tied the match at 11 with a Bacon kill. Knotted at 12, EPPJ scored the final three points on a Lady Falcon error, a Martinsen ace and a Kayce Kallhoff kill, to complete the comeback and win the set, 15-12, and the match. "After that second set we were all pretty scared," Heilhecker recalled. "We didn't want to do what we did last year at district finals and lose to them again. We battled, kept hustling, never let a ball drop and we kept pushing." Amber Miller led the Lady Falcons with a triple-double after accumulating 10 kills, two aces, 30 digs and 31 assists. Ollendick tallied a double-double with 13 kills, two aces and 34 digs, Rystrom collected nine kills, three blocks and 20 digs, Olivia Nall had eight kills and 24 digs, Haley Fleetwood pitched in 27 digs and Bria Gale added 13 digs. "We were able to focus on our serves and we served a very tough match," Vaughn said. "We didn't passed too bad, but we talked about the mentality and being able to close out a match. We need to build off each other and rally around our teammates who make good plays. It didn't go our way tonight and Elgin played a great game and didn't let anything touch the ground. That made it tough for us to have any confidence." Martinsen led EPPJ with a match-highs in kills (17), aces (four) and blocks (seven). Kallhoff contributed 16 kills, Zegers recorded 10 kills, four blocks and 12 digs, Kirsten Krebs accounted for seven kills and 10 digs, Allyson Wemhoff tallied 30 digs and 44 assists, Grace Rittscher accumulated 26 digs and six assists and Heilhecker added 27 digs. "There was no one that stood out tonight that we were going to for sure go to," Thiele-Blecher said. "I kept telling Ally (Wemhoff) to set to anybody right now because everyone was getting kills. The biggest thing was everyone was digging and passing. We weren't letting any balls hit the floor. I preach all the time, defense wins championships, and we didn't let the ball hit the floor. Everyone was all over the place." Elkhorn Valley (17-10) and Elgin Public/Pope John (19-11) both participate in Class D1-7 sub-district at Norfolk Catholic Monday. EV awaits the winner of Neligh-Oakdale and Plainview at 7:30 p.m., while EPPJ faces Clearwater/Orchard at 6:15 p.m. "It's always great to win no matter what and there's a chance we see them next week," concluded Thiele-Blecher. "Hopefully this gains us a lot of momentum heading into next week and we get ready for postseason. Hopefully we have a lot of confidence." The Cyclones will advance to the second round of D-2 playoffs with their 54-20 win over Brady on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Oct. 31, the Clearwater/Orchard football team will now travel to Lawrence to take on Lawrence-Nelson in a 4 p.m. game. Clearwater and Orchard will both dismiss classes at 11:45 a.m. on Oct. 31 and no lunch will be served at either school. Numerous miscues cost the Neligh-Oakdale football team, as the Warriors saw their season come to an end with a 60-26 loss to North Central Thursday in the first round of the Class D-1 playoffs.
"The kids fought pretty hard," said N-O mentor Ron Beacom. "We've been a young group all year and we were banged up most of the year, but day in and day out, they came and worked well and worked hard. We really grew a lot and that's what gave us a chance." After two fumbled snaps turned into two Knight touchdowns, N-O got in the scoring column, following a muffed punt, as Hunter Charf scored and Jayden Arehart recorded the two-point conversion. After two North Central scores, Andrew Herley cut the deficit to 14 with a 25-yard TD run. An Arehart touchdown run from three-yards out made it a one-score game, but the Knights scored 42 of the final 48 points in the game. "They have a nice football team," Beacom said. "If we could have contained the big play, we would have been in the game. But we continued to give up big plays." North Central (6-3) travels to Nebraska Christian Wednesday for its second round matchup. Herley led the offense with 108 yards rushing, 44 yards receiving and one touchdown. Arehart collected 38 yards of total offense and a score, Charf threw for 120 yards and a TD, while Austin Rice caught four passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. All three Warrior seniors who played Thursday evening, found the end zone in their final game. Arehart and Herley each recorded a rushing touchdown and Rice caught a 16-yard TD pass from Charf. Tucker Knust also saw his Neligh-Oakdale football career come to an end as the Warriors bowed out of the playoffs and ended their season at 4-5. "I'm really proud of Austin, Andrew, Jayden and Tucker for everything they did for us this year," Beacom concluded. "They were good leaders, both by example and vocal. They will be missed, obviously, but I look forward to all the kids we got coming back." Neligh-Oakdale (4-5) 8 18 0 0 - 26 North Central (6-3) 20 22 10 8 - 60 Neligh-Oakdale - Passing: Hunter Charf 9-16-0 120 yards. Brock Kester 1-5-0 35 yards. Rushing: Andrew Herley 11-108. Hunter Charf 12-13. Jayden Arehart 4-15. Garret Belitz 1-1. Brock Kester 4-(-8). Receiving: Austin Rice 4-84. Andrew Herley 2-44. Jayden Arehart 3-23. North Central - Passing: Jake Heerten 15-29-1 289 yards. Rushing: Charlie Gale 15-82. Sage Miller 9-57. Jake Heerten 6-58. Levi Lewis 5-9. Dolan Pospichat 1-7. Zak Palmer 5-11. Zane Vigoren 1-3. The Clearwater/Orchard football team flexed its muscles and cruised to a 54-20 triumph over Brady Thursday in the first round of the Class D-2 playoffs at Orchard.
"I thought we played a very complete game," said OC mentor Jeff Shabram. "The varsity played really hard. Offense, defense and we even made some plays on special teams. We played physical, fast and aggressive. We did a nice job blocking up front and Eli Macke did a nice job running the ball. It was a pretty complete game for us." The Eagles opened the game by recovering an onside kick and drove inside the OC 20, but the Cyclones did not break and forced a turnover on the downs. On the ensuing play, Macke broke free for a 37-yard run and four plays later found the end zone on a seven-yard score. "They kicked the onside right away and we had to come back and do something," Macke recalled. "I broke off a big run and we went from there." OC took advantage of a few miscues to extend its lead. Following a Macke interception, the Cyclones were facing a fourth-and-long, but a personal foul roughing the punter penalty gave OC a fresh set of downs. The green and black ended the drive with a Chris Kester three-yard TD run. On the first play of the Cyclones' next drive, Macke broke free for a 30-yard TD scamper to give the Cyclones a 24-0 lead at the end of the first. In the first 12 minutes of play, Macke accumulated more than 100 yards rushing, two touchdowns and an interception. "It was time to show up, time to play and time to show everyone who we are," Macke said. "We have to keep working hard and keep moving." Following a fumble recovery by Houston Marino, Kester recorded a 12-yard TD score. The defense continued to dominate, as Blake Hoke picked off a pass for the third Eagle turnover of the game. OC capitalized on the miscue as Kester scored from three yards out to give the Cyclones a 36-0 lead at half. Brady opened the second half with a drive deep into Cyclone territory, but Ryan Wilhelm picked off T.J. Roe's pass to end the threat. "The defense played very physical up front," Shabram noted. "When we were in positions where our backs were up against the goal line, we bowed our necks and really played physical defense, especially in those crucial situations." Kester tallied his fourth rushing touchdown on a four-yard run. The Eagles finally broke through towards the end of the third when Roe scored Brady's first touchdown on a 35-yard run. OC responded with a Macke 15-yard scoring run to push its lead back up to 42. Following a touchdown reception by Titus Earll, Austin Pokorny found the end zone on a one-yard plunge. The Eagles scored the final touchdown of the contest on a 48-yard run by Hunter Lovitt. OC advances to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2015. "We knew it was going to be a good game," Macke said. "We worked all week in practice and we knew we needed to play a four-quarter game, which is what we worked for all year. Now we're going out and doing it." The green and black were led by their potent running attack, which gained 376 yards rushing and eight touchdowns. Macke gained 233 yards on the ground, caught a pass for 39 yards and scored three times. Kester added 71 yards rushing, 52 yards passing and four rushing TDs and Pokorny ran the ball for 41 yards and a touchdown. "We've prided ourselves all year on having multiple weapons," Shabram said. "Eli (Macke) is one weapon, Chris (Kester) is another one, we got Blake (Hoke), we got Clay (Thiele) and Jacob Long. We got a lot of weapons out here and you never know which guy is going to have the hot hand that night." The defense was also stellar for the Cyclones in their eighth-straight victory. OC gave up 141 yards rushing and forced five Eagle turnovers, which turned into 26 points for the host squad, and stopped Brady in the red zone on three different occasions. "The defense played really great," Macke said. "The line got a really good push, got a few sacks and played a really good game." Brady ends its season at 4-5. Clearwater/Orchard (8-1) advances to the second round of the playoffs and hits the road as the Cyclones make a long bus ride to Lawrence-Nelson Wednesday. "Lawrence-Nelson is another physical team," Shabram concluded. "It's going to be a pretty physical matchup and we need to be on our game. We need to be disciplined and smart in all three phases of the game. We definitely have to have our A game Wednesday." Brady (4-5) 0 0 6 14 - 20 OC (8-1) 24 12 12 6 - 54 Brady - Passing: T.J. Roe 9-19-2 178 yards. Titus Earll 0-1-1 0 yards Rushing: T.J. Roe 17-66. Hunter Lovitt 4-62. Noah Jurjens 3-19. Shane Most 1-1. Titus Earll 14-(-7). Receiving: Titus Earll 5-136. Noah Kurjens 2-26. Cameron Sylvan 2-16. Clearwater/Orchard - Passing: Chris Kester 3-13-0 52 yards. Rushing: Eli Macke 18-233. Chris Kester 14-71. Austin Pokorny 8-41. Houston Marino 8-24. Colton Thiele 1-4. Mason Hoke 1-1. Tyler Bellar 1-1. Zach King 1-1. Receiving: Eli Macke 1-39. Blake Hoke 2-13. |
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